History of the BatFamily
by Eothon
Summary: Learn how and why the members of the BatFamily came to be the way they are through my own personal retelling of their histories. And even some of their futures. Includes the most prominent family members and some villains. Rated T for eventual stuff. Lots of shipping.
1. Bruce and Alfred

Hello, internet! This is my first ever fan fiction, and the first time the general populace will ever read a major piece of my writing. This is a history of the Bat Family. A non-canon, patchwork, slightly made-up, simplified retelling of the proud clan who wear the symbol of The Bat to fight crime in Gotham and beyond.

Again this is completely my own interpretation of the history of these characters, it is in no way intended to summarize decades of comics and other media. (Though it is a good place to start if you're new.) I guess you could call it a head canon. A very large one. Any future stories I write would likely start off with _this_ as the base universe.

I don't own anything. Batman and everything related to him is owned by DC comics. He was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. Thanks to all the writers and artists who have ever contributed to the Batman mythos. You made something great.

Everyone knows the story.

Two of the greatest citizens of Gotham were shot dead in a back alley one fateful night. Thomas and Martha Wayne were both titans of the city and their deaths resonated deeply with the people. There was no reason to the crime, just a petty thief looking for a score. And in that moment of senseless violence, two great pillars of virtue and strength were lost forever. The city would go on to mourn them and sympathize with their young son, who had witnessed his parent's murder. 'How terrible it must be to watch your parents die', they thought.

The boy however, did not care for their sympathy. He did not care for much at all. Only one thing consumed his mind, revenge.

Revenge on those who had torn his life apart. His parents murderer yes, but more than that. His hatred encompassed all of the scum in Gotham, every last person who had ruined _anyone's_ life. Bruce Wayne was not fueled by sorrow, but by the all consuming force of rage that burned deep in one's soul. He swore an oath to rid his city of the evil that had taken his parents, and he would accomplish it or die trying.

But not now. He was merely a boy of nine years. Even he knew such things were impossible for him to accomplish. His war on crime would not begin until he was ready.

Eighteen years passed. As he grew, Bruce trained. Physically and mentally in every way he could. He developed a photographic memory and consumed huge quantities of information and knowledge. His learning could not be tempered by the restraints of traditional methods and he sought out the greatest in every field of interest and absorbed everything he could from them. Most considered him a prodigy. If only they knew. He had learned dozens of languages, extensively studied the law, excelled in the field of psychology, acquainted himself with the highest levels of mathematics and science, and became an expert in forensic investigation. This training would one day cause many to regard him as the world's greatest detective.

Even more incredibly, he trained his body to it's absolute limit. Studying with ancient masters and modern soldiers, the boy became on par with the best combatants in the world. And then he surpassed them. He also studied stealth and evasion techniques such that he could move unseen in almost any environment. He conditioned his body to require very little sleep and survive in even the most impossible circumstances. His reflexes were tuned to unimaginable levels and no traditional restraints could contain him for long. These skills would one day earn him the title of world's greatest crime fighter.

But this did take a toll on him. Bruce's life was one of solitude. No person could ever know what he was doing, it would risk their life and his. No, he was forever destined to fight this war himself. He couldn't be a person, he needed to be a symbol. A lone force of justice in the world. And in his solitude, his hatred continuously simmered just beneath the surface. His one driving force that caused him to sacrifice his life to be the symbol that no normal human could ever be.

Initially Bruce had wanted to exact vengeance on the scum of Gotham city. Vengeance in the exact manner that his parents had been taken from him. But as he grew, his training made him realize that this desire made him no better than the criminals he fought. His personal sense of vengeance had to be overridden in order for justice to prevail. Never would he take a life, because then nothing would separate him from them. Seeking retribution for every wrong ever committed would result in a world where evil repeated itself in an endless cycle.

When he returned home, the now grown man set out to create the tools he would need for his crusade. With his considerable fortune Bruce constructed an underground fortress in the caves beneath his family manor. His resources were funneled into designing the most advanced armor, non-lethal weapons and gadgetry that could be created. He prepared for every contingency, every mishap, every possible obstacle. And even then he had only scratched the surface of his future arsenal. The car would be overhauled endlessly and the plane had yet to be optimized for combat purposes. His armor would see many variations to counteract different threats, eventually including a nearly limitless alien refugee.

Searching for a way to characterize this newfound persona of his, Bruce desired to find a way to strike fear into the hearts of criminals. He turned to his own fears for inspiration. The one thing that had frightened him in his childhood was a simple bat. This is what criminals would see, not a man but a legend. This creature of the night would come to be known only in whispers on dark street corners at midnight. The mere mention of his name would cause even the hardest criminals to hear noises in the dark. Not only would his actions build his reputation, but his legend would as well. The Bat was born.

Through only the absolute necessity of circumstance, Bruce turned to his loyal butler to aid him. Alfred Pennyworth had raised him after his parent's death and was perhaps the closest thing to family that Bruce had. Perhaps his last truly human connection left in this world. A proper gentleman, the butler attended to every aspect of Bruce's life that was necessary for him to function as the hero that Gotham needed. He served as a line to the outside world, arranging Bruce's life so that his actions would never be questioned. Alfred also became his source of intelligence and base command while out on patrol. And a skilled medic to the various injuries Bruce would sustain through his time in the cape and cowl. The two of them would become inseparable; Bruce so full of drive and knowledge, while Alfred supplied the caution and wisdom.

This is how it all began. This rather humble beginning would lead to the greatest group of heroes the world had ever known. Not the strongest or the fastest or even the most powerful. But most certainly the greatest. Swinging from the ledges of these old buildings, stopping robberies and gang fights, keeping an eye out for the criminal elite, and avoiding the police. This is where Bruce Wayne ceased to exist. This is where The Batman was born.


	2. Dick, Barbra and Selina

Welcome to Chapter Two of The History of the BatFamily! This one will focus mainly on the first Robin (Dick Grayson), the first Batgirl (Barbra Gordon) and an early encounter with Catwoman (Selina Kyle). I will try and inculde as much detail as possible so be prepared for quite the read. And just try to remember that there are many versions of each characters origin. I will go with what I feel is appropriate for this story.

Sorry to all the Dick/Starfire fans out there, this one is Dick/Barbra. Just personal preference.

This series is really going to focus on the relationships between characters so don't expect a lot of action. I'll do my best to inculde actual story scenes, but I find narraration is best suited for long, drawn out timelines.

Also, Chapter One has had slight alterations to it's content. Nothing _really_ significant.

The Batman had prowled the streets of Gotham for nearly a year with no one but Alfred to aid him. In that time he had acomplished so much and made a legend out of the shadow he cast down upon criminals. His name was only ever whispered as an urban legend, but no one could deny the results that the Bat was achieving in the city. Small but measurable results.

Durring the day, Bruce Wayne took the appearance of a socialite playboy billionare. Never giving anyone any indication of what his life was truly like. Bruce, with the help of Alfred, also kept Wayne Industries running. The company his parents had built was now a major competitor in various scientific and manufacturing fields. It served as the prefect research facility for many of the Bat-gadgets and technology that Bruce would use.

A man named Lucius Fox came to run a vast majority of the company in Bruce's frequent absences. Though he would never admit it, Lucius soon began to suspect what Bruce was spending all of his time doing. At the same time he saw the effect the Batman was having on the city. People had hope for the first time in years. Lucius would never divulge his suspicions about Bruce to anyone. The two men came to trust each other greatly, Bruce relying on Lucius to manage his affairs and conceal the Bat as best he could.

While putting on the facade of Bruce Wayne for the world to see, the caped crusader was in the audience of a visiting circus. This particualr extravaganza was internationally renowned and acclaimed. Haley's circus employed the best talent that could be found in any area of interest. This included a family of acrobats who were said to soar with incredible grace. The Flying Graysons. John and Mary Grayson had been in the buisness for years and their young son Richard or 'Dick' was becoming an exceptional acrobat in his own right.

Durrign that night's performance, the Graysons were set to do their routine without a net. This was a usual 'daring feat' that the acrobats had taken as their signature style. Dick however was still not allowed to preform in this act as his parents had deemed it too dangerous for the ten year old. Because of a horrible accident, the ropes holding his parents aloft suddenly snapped and young Dick was left without a family.

Bruce was as shocked as anyone after the incident. He saw the young Greyson boy and was compelled to help him. Bruce knew what it felt like to lose one's parents and exactly what kinds of effects that could have on such a young mind. So Dick Grayson was offered residence at Wayne manor. Having no where else to turn, the boy readily accepted. Bruce did his best to comfort Dick and be there for him when it seemed like his whole world had come crashing down. The two did connect over shared tragedies and soon Dick was a fixture in the household.

In the beginning, Bruce had no intentions of involving Dick in the other side of his life. But that didn't stop the Batman from looking into the deaths of the Flying Graysons. He quickly found that their supposed tragic end had been orchestrated by a mob boss, Tony Zucco, because they refused to pay protection money. Several attempts to bring down Zucco had failed because of his vast criminal influence. But Batman never put the case to rest, just as the Wayne murders were still unresolved.

It was around this time that the inevetable happened: Dick stumbled upon the Batcave. It was durring a dark night that Dick heard a faint cry for help from deep within the manor. He followed the sound to the old grandfather clock and discovered a secret passage into a strange tunnel system. At the bottom he saw Bruce in the Batman costume, severly beaten and broken from a fight. That night, as Alfred attended to Bruce, Dick learned everythig about the Bat. He also learned that his parents were murdered, something he had long suspected. Fuled by his desire for vengence, Dick convinced Batman to train him as a partner.

Batman was initially hesitant to the idea of having a child join him on his crusade. This was not the life of a normal person, and Dick should grow up to live the life Bruce Wayne never could. Eventually Bruce saw that Dick could never have that life. Not with his parent's death forever hanging over his head. Bruce saw that vengence would consume the boy, just as it had consumed him years earlier. But there was also another reason, a nagging idea that had formed in the mind of the Bat. A plan for the long term. ( _This will be expanded upon later.)_

So Dick began training under the Bat in combat and stealth. His already advanced skill in acrobatics was a great advantage. Eventually he took the name Robin and dawned a much brighter costume than his metor. Batman and Robin became a much more substantial threat to the criminal underworld than the Bat had ever been by himself. After several months, the opportunity finally arose to take down Zucco. Robin was able to bring his parent's murderer to justice and find closure in that area of his life. But there was no stoping the Boy Wonder now, he truly enjoyed his life as a crime fighter and found it the best use of his talents. From now on, the dynamic duo patroled the streets of Gotham.

A short while later, Bruce Wayne was kidnapped from a Haloween ball by Killer Moth, a deranged supervillan planning to hold him for ransom. Bruce couldn't try and escape because it might out him as the caped crusader in front of the crowd. Instead, durring thier getaway, the villain was dispatched by a mysterious figure in a crude 'Bat' costume. This female Batman became known to authorities as Batgirl. In reality she was Barbra Gordon, the teenage daughter of the Gotham poliece commissioner James Gordon. The Batman had a working relationship with James Gordon who tollerated the vigilante so long as he continued to bring criminals to justice in the right way.

Barbra had originally had no intention of fighting crime. She had been dressed up for the Haloween ball that night, but found the experience so invigorating that soon she was patroling the streets on her own. Having a brown belt in Judo and an extremely analytical mind helped her stay ahead of any trouble. Though keeping this hobby hidden from her father was a much more difficult challenge. Commissioner Gordon highly dissapproved of the growing clan of vigilantes the Bat was creating. It would take some time for him to see that the Bats were necessary in a city such as Gotham. Especially when it came to the supernatural and extratarrestrial.

Batgirl very quickly stumbled across Batman who attempted to persuade her to give up the cape and cowl. He also deduced exactly who she was and threatened to tell her father. However, given the right motivation by Robin, Batman eventually saw Barbra as a potential asset to their cause. She was smart, resourcefull and already a talented fighter. Though not happy about the situation, Batman allowed 'Barb' to operate under his supervision. She recieved the standard costume upgrade and technological loadout of grappling hooks, smoke bombs and batarangs.

The pair of Robin and Batgirl quickly grew to appreciate each other. Both lived in the Bat's shadow and sought to become the best they could possibly be. Their training often pitted them against one another and a rivalry quickly developed. Also, Robin had developed a bit of a crush on the older girl. As the years passed, they would only grow closer. Teasing and witty banter became the norm between them. Though the Bat was always there to set them straight durring missions.

It was a constant point of tension that Barb was never allowed to learn the secret identities of Batman and Robin. Though the group grew very reliant on one another, their level of trust was always hindered by this fact. Barbra would begin to operate as almost a free agent at times and hone her detective skills. Though still technically a side-kick, Batgirl would never really come to be considered a true partner to Batman.

One night, Batman responded to an alarm at a famous museum in the city. Upon arriving he encountered a woman dressed suspiciously like a cat who was stealing jewls and other valuables. Though startled by his appearence, she did not run or fight.

"Well, well. Looks like the Batman finally caught me. I've been dying to see you in action. Care to tell a girl how you get around so stealthily?" Her demenor was quite flirtatious and unlike any villain the Bat had faced thus far.

"Not particularly. You're comming with me."

"Oh, as fun as that sounds, I've got to unload these goods before they get too hot to handle. I could give you a cut for letting me off?"

"Not a chance." The two launched into a furious battle, Batman finding himself evenly matched by this common catburglar.

"Don't you usually have a few helpers? A bright little birdie and a red-headed mini-me? They seem like such fun."

The duel eventually made it up to the roof where Batman managed to snag the stolen goods from his foe.

"Shame. I was looking forward to playing with you a little more. The name's Catwoman by the way. I'll be seeing you around." She jumped off the side of the roof and dissappeared into the ever-present haze of Gotham. Batman would continue to combat Catwoman for a long time, each encounter marked with intrigue and flirtatious remarks. The Bat would never admit it, but this woman was having an effect on him.

Thanks for reading! I will try and expand more on Catwoman as the history continues. Though the outline for this story is already ten chapters long... Next chapter might take some time to piece together. Just wait, it's all going to get good very quickly.


	3. Nightwing and Oracle

_Hello once again! Sorry this took so long; I've had a lot on my plate and there was a good bit of research that had to be done. Most of my source material will come from the Batman the Animated Series episode 'Old Wounds'. Along with the famous Alan Moore comic 'The Killing Joke'. This one is going to end kind of grimly, but everything needs to fall apart to build something greater from the rubble._

 _Also: Batman is a member of the original Justice League at this point. I couldn't find a point to cram that info in here._

Gotham was still for the night. The streets were dark, but just out of sight Robin could sense the ever-present scum and villainy that plagued the city. But for now, they were behaving themselves. And for that he was grateful.

In his nine years as Robin, the boy wonder had grown up. No longer was he the whelmed, naïve sidekick who had first fought beside the Bat. Now he was a serious crime fighter (while retaining his important contrasts to the Bat). He'd done so much in those eight years, fought so many battles and won most of them. He liked to believe that he was just as capable a hero as Batman. The two had grown distant in recent times, driven apart by Robins age and their conflicting viewpoints.

But there was always a teamwaiting for him on the east coast whenever he needed a break from being the lesser of a duo. A team formed exclusively of teenage superheroes who called themselves the Titans. He was a founding member, but never could tear himself away from Gotham for too long. One of the reasons was standing in front of him now.

Batgirl had continued to operate on and off since she was first inducted into the life of crime fighting. She had become a formidable force to be reckoned with and a key source of intelligence for Bat. Not to mention 'something more' to a specific bird. It had taken quite a bit of convincing and years of tension, but eventually Barbra caved for the masked vigilante. Their relationship had only recently blossomed and it was perfect. Except for the whole, no secret identities thing.

The one thing they constantly fought about was Robin's continued resistance to revealing his (and thus Batman's) secret identity. The two of them weren't kids anymore, and they should make their own decisions!

"It's not that simple Batgirl. I want to get out of his shadow, believe me! But the two of us have always been a team. It's just second nature now. And you know his word is law."

"I do. But really, Robin you can't live like this forever. And what about the Titans? Don't you want to lead them? We could leave Gotham and never look back."

"The Titans are a special case. Besides, I thought you said you never wanted to join up with a bunch of rambunctious teenage clowns." That got a smile out of her. The Titans did have a reputation for being a bit, well, juvenile.

"Not with that orange alien seductress around I'm not."

"Barb, it's not like that I swear!"

"I know birdbrain. I didn't mean join them. I meant just leave. Get away from the Bat and become our own individuals." The two of them sat on the edge of a rooftop overlooking the nighttime cityscape.

"Someday, when I can't stand him anymore, I promise. But there's still work to do around here. Besides, what would the big scary Bat do without us?"

Robin stood and shot a grappling line to an adjacent roof. Batgirl quickly followed.

Several nights later the Joker _(story on him to come)_ would enact his scheme to drive Commissioner Gordon mad. The psychopathic clown wanted to prove that even the most stable of people could be driven to insanity under certain circumstances. His first order of business was to surprise the Gordons at their home and shoot Barbra through the abdomen. The bullet shattering her spine and leaving her bleeding to death. There was no indication that Joker knew Barbra was Batgirl, but rather that his only target was the daughter of the Commissioner.

The Joker would go on to strip the dying hero and take pictures of her fractured body while laughing and tormenting the Commissioner. He would then hold Gordon hostage and continually try and break his mind in an old amusement park. The torture the Commissioner endured is unimaginable.

Barbra would be found and rescued by the police just in time to save her life. At the hospital, she would be visited by the dynamic duo looking for answers to what had happened. She quickly informed Batman of the Joker's plan and told him this time was different. This time wasn't a game; it was serious to the clown prince of crime. He was going to go all the way. Then the embrace of sleep reclaimed the fractured hero.

As Batman flew off into the abyss looking for clues, Robin knelt by her bedside. "Barbra, this is it. I'm done. Done being his partner, done going after these lunatics, done risking my life for his cause." He removed his mask and tears fell down his face.

"After this is over, I'm going to leave Gotham. I swear it."

The Joker was inevitably defeated and detained. The former dynamic duo stood overlooking the amusement park that had been the scene of horrific acts. Robin stood to confront his mentor.

"This was the last straw Bruce. I'm not your pawn to order around like a dog. Barbra…you know what she means to me. Tonight, I learned that you don't care who gets hurt on your crusade, the Bat has taken hold of you. More than normal. I'm done risking my life for your damn ideals and missions. Count me out."

"Robin, what happened to Barbra was an atrocity, but we did good work here. We bring justice every night. But the fight never ends." 

"Well maybe I don't want to be like you, ever think of that? I don't want to be some cold, heartless enforcer who will sacrifice everything for the sake of the mission! This endless mission!"

"I thought our goals were the same." The Bat stood patiently.

"Yeah well, things change." Robin tore off his cape and removed his mask. As he attempted to walk away Batman reached out to stop him. "Robin…" The boy wonder would have none of it, punching his former mentor squarely in the jaw. Then he walked away.

After that night, Dick Grayson would reveal himself to Barbra Gordon and the two would continue a strenuous relationship. Neither was truly prepared to deal with what had happened that night and both wanted to distance themselves from the lives they had lived. Robin was no more, but Dick found himself drawn out into the night once again in the city of Blüdhaven. He dawned a new persona, Nightwing. A name taken from Kryptonian mythology. The hero would not return to Gotham for many years even after Batman had taken on a new Robin _(spoilers!)_. Finally, he was his own man.

Unbeknownst to both of her former partners, Barbra would user her incredible intellect to from a network of information sources and investigative methods to become Oracle. Though permanently paralyzed from the waist down, Barbra would act on behalf of many superheroes. Gathering intel and serving as a general central node for the community.

The two former side-kicks had progressed into the next stages of their lives. But at what cost? The team was decimated; it would never be the same again. Dick's relationship with Barbra became so strained that they eventually called it off. The Bat was left without a partner in a city desperate to kill him. Nightwing felt that he had lost his family for a second time.

 _Alright, a rather depressing end. But worthwhile believe me. From these ruins, will rise a true team. Eventually. Not in the next chapter. Or the one after that. Eventually alright?!_

 _I wrote this all in one go due to a bout of creativity. If it's a bit inconsistent with traditional cannon, sorry. This is just the way I see things._

 _Also, I'm making plans to do a series of one-shots after this is done about the smaller interactions between members of the Bat Family. That will have a lot more fluff and feelings in it._


	4. Jason and Helena

_Here's to a new day. Things are looking up and I'm ready to get to writing. This chapter will focus on the second Robin (Jason Todd) and the slightly improvised character of Helena Wayne. Full explanation at the end._

 _Just as a reminder: I don't own Batman. This is my interpretation of his history and family._

Months would pass after the Joker's attack on Commissioner Gordon. The city of Gotham would live on, never really knowing the full implications of what had happened that night. Why Robin and Batgirl had disappeared from the night sky. While never incredibly public figures, the young heroes had developed something of a reputation among the common people as well as the criminal underworld.

It quickly became apparent that Batman was once again operating as a lone force. Wielding this information, the criminal elite began to make plans for the city that involved taking down the solitary shadow who stood guard. Over time, the dark forces of Gotham had gotten better at combating the dark knight. Certain supervillains in particular posed a real threat to Batman whenever they appeared in the city. On each occasion, they had been stopped by one or both sidekicks. These villains saw their opportunity to take down the feared Bat once and for all.

Batman, however, wouldn't stand this kind of scheming in his city. The Bat began cracking down even harder on the scum and villainy who were unlucky enough to cross his path. His methods became excessively brutal, his tactics much more threatening. Keeping the peace had become punishing the guilty. No one was safe from the wrath of Batman.

Dick Grayson and Barbra Gordon had removed themselves from the world of costumed crimefighting. Or so that's what they said. Dick was now living in Blüdhaven, a sister city to Gotham. However, he had no interaction with his former mentor. The two had parted on bad terms and neither were willing to take fault for it. Nightwing would eventually rejoin the Titans and take on a leadership role in the team. Barbra, though still a paraplegic, would form one of the largest and most prominent information networks on the planet. Under the alias of Oracle, she provided support and sensitive intelligence to the Superhero community at large.

Oracle saw what was happening with Batman. His behavior was being fueled by anger, and soon it would cause him to slip. All it would take is one small error for a villain to get lucky and finally end the Bat. Barb was deeply concerned. She never held the same resentment towards Batman that Nightwing did. And most importantly, Gotham needed the Batman.

Then something changed. Perhaps it was by chance, or perhaps by fate. This event would become one of the most infamous in the family history. One lonely night in an alley, Batman found a street rat of a boy trying to steal the tiers off the Batmobile. Normally the Bat would have broken a few of his fingers and thrown him to the wayside for the cops to pick up. But this boy was different. He wasn't afraid of him.

Jason Todd had lived on the streets for a few years. He'd learned to survive above all else. When he came across the Batmobile that night, he thought his luck was finally turning around. When the Bat appeared later that night, he realized what a stupid move he'd made. But he never backed down. Fighting had taught him to never let you opponent see you scared.

Batman saw something in this kid. A spark of fire that could be used for great things. His anger was manageable.

So, the street rat was brought in and trained the same as the Robin before him. He was raw and easily angered. His technique would never be on par with the best, but his strength of will and determination made up for it. The second Robin made his appearance alongside the Bat not a year later.

Catwoman took an instant liking to him, having gone so long without a little birdie to pester. She and Batman had been playing cat and mouse for a long time now. She knew the big bad Bat was soft for her. All it took was a little cooing and she would get off scot free. Thought with a significantly reduced payoff. The new bird was cute, and he seemed much more open to taking her advice than the last two were. He would need it if he wanted to survive out here.

The second Robin would go on to be known as the most aggressive of his lineage. Though having a partner did set the Bat straight, it didn't help that said partner was willing to do anything to bring justice. On more than one occasion Batman had to keep Robin from going too far, from becoming the thing that they fought against.

Eventually this Robin's inexperience and arrogance would be his end. Captured by the Joker, Robin would be beaten within an inch of his life. The Joker, unwilling to kill the caped crusader, was more than willing to end an insignificant brat who called himself Robin. This child was a cheap knockoff of the last one and that simply wouldn't do.

Finally, Jason was left alone in a deserted warehouse surrounded by bombs. Batman arrived seconds before the blast engulfed the warehouse, taking his partners life. It would go on to be remembered as the greatest failure of the Batman. This was entirely his fault. If he had trained Jason better, or gotten through to him more, or found the warehouse faster. He had let a partner die on his watch. Never again.

The Bat sat alone in his cave. The shadows embraced everything, crept over every surface and filled every space. Only the light of the monitor was present. Its surface displayed images, faces once familiar but now to distant to remember. His parents, Dick, Barbra, Jason. People he had lost one way or another. Perhaps he wasn't the hero that the world needed.

Suddenly the lights came on. Every display case, trophy and vehicle was lit by a soft glow. The depths of the cave extended into darkness. Bruce assumed Alfred had turned them on in another attempt to talk some sense into him. Or at the very worst Barbra had come to give him a piece of her mind. But when he turned around, it was someone he did not recognize before him.

She was dressed in a formfitting black and purple outfit with a long cape, face concealed by an elaborate mask. But her eyes…they were, familiar. The League had heard rumors of an international vigilante who seemed to disappear without a trace. She had somehow gotten past all the security and into the cave. Bruce immediately jumped to a fighting stance.

"I'm not here to fight you. Authorization code: Z-Alpha-9-5-Theta-Sigma-42-Wayne." Her voice was something strange, familiar but just out of memory. The code was good, one of his own to access League information. No one in the world knew it.

"Who are you? How do you know that?"

"I'm from another earth. Another reality. One where you and I are partners. All your systems and codes are the same. And before you ask, I've been sneaking in here since I was seven." She didn't waste any time with pleasantries.

"And how can I believe any of this?"

"Does anyone else know that code? Or how to get in here? Look, it's a long story but I need a few things. Then I'm out of your hair." She put her hands up in a nonthreatening gesture.

"First tell me exactly who you are then we'll talk." Bruce had never considered that there were multiple worlds, much less how to travel between them. This changed things.

The girl reached behind her head and unclasped her mask. The face behind it was alarmingly similar to …

"My name is Helena Wayne. On my Earth, I'm your daughter."

A blood test confirmed it. Not a perfect match, but enough to prove what she was saying. On another Earth, Bruce Wayne had married Catwoman early in his career as Batman and the two had a daughter who became Robin.

"So what is it you need?" Bruce retained his stoic demeanor through careful consideration of his words.

"Some money, gear and maybe a place to stay. I'm not looking for a full-time residence, just until I can find my way back." She was standing in front of the uniforms, staring intently at the Robin suit.

"You lost him recently didn't you. Your Robin. You're killing yourself over it. The two of you were partners. I know what it's like. To feel like there was something you could have done, s _hould have done_ to keep him alive."

The Bat stood emotionless. "You may think you know me, but don't come in here and pity me."

She smiled. "I wouldn't dare. All I'm saying is don't give up. Keep fighting as long as you can breathe. Right up until your last breath. Soldiers die, but the war continues. You taught me that."

"I'll have equipment sent to an apartment in the city. I'll fund you while you're here, just keep to the shadows. No theatrics. And I'll have to inform the League of your presence." Bruce brushed past her comments.

"Of course. The name's Huntress by the way. I'll be in Gotham for a few days. If you need me, I'll be in touch." Then she was gone. Trained by the best he assumed.

It looked like she was going to be his responsibility. There was no way he was going to get her to stop being a hero, not with her lineage and attitude. She wasn't going to be a sidekick either, too independent and closed off. She was, however, family. One way or another.

 _So, my version of Helena Wayne is based off the New 52 version with a few alterations. Here, she decides to go to this worlds Batman for help. I always thought it was stupid that she didn't in the comics. Yes, Power Girl still exists but this story isn't about her. Maybe in some future one-shots._

 _If you want the reading on Huntress I suggest_ World's Finest, Vol.1: Lost daughters of Earth 2


	5. Joker and Ra's

_**Death to the Bats!**_ _Perhaps the most endearing part of the Batman mythos are his numerous colorful and devious villains. They are a crazy and maniacal bunch who would love nothing more than to have the Bat Clan permanently removed from their affairs._

 _Some want vengeance, others power, and there are some who just want to see the world burn. Whatever their motivation, these supervillains have plagued the caped crusader and all those around him for what seems like decades._

 _These are the stories of the greatest adversaries of the Bat. The Clown Prince of Crime, The Joker. The Demon's Head, Ra's al Ghul. The most important and dangerous enemies Batman has ever faced._

To this day, the identity of the man known as the Joker is a mystery. It is likely that he himself doesn't know anymore. Once, he called himself the Red Hood; a small time petty thief and costumed criminal. His reasons for such a course of life are blurry at best; perhaps by his own decisions, or perhaps by extortion. Regardless, the Red Hood eventually came under the scrutiny of Batman. It was just another case, just another felon to apprehend, just another night. But the events of that night would ripple outward in unimaginable ways.

The Red Hood was on the run. The Bat was on his tail, not far behind. Survival was the only thought on his mind. This wasn't the plan, no one was supposed to know he was ever here. Where did things go so wrong? It was just a job, that's what they said. He wasn't a criminal, he just needed the money. His life was going all wrong!

There was a building, a big industrial plant. He just needed to get away. Up to the catwalks, in the shadows. It was a chemical factory, huge vats filled with bright green liquid all along the ground floor. ACE Chemicals. As good a place to hide as any.

But not for long. The Bat was upon him in a matter of seconds. He was a monster, a demon, completely inhuman. Taken by surprise Red Hood stumbled backwards, tripping on his own cloak and falling over the flimsy railing. Batman tried to reach out a grab the man, but for once he was too slow. The Red Hood tumbled towards an open vat of the volatile chemicals.

What normally would have killed him instead only changed him. Warped him beyond recognition, his body and mind showing no signs of what they had previously been. When he finally crawled out of the chemical stew, the man was gone. In the dead of night, the man looked at his reflection in a puddle of rain water. His skin had turned white, his hair green and his lips ruby red. Like some crazy clown, a joker gone terribly wrong.

Crazy was just the surface level of what this man was. He was psychotic, psychopathic and obsessive. Murderous tendencies, a complete lack of empathy, a disconnection from reality. One thing consumed his mind, The Bat. Every good hero needs a villain, right? He certainly looked the part, like a clown. Like a Joker.

No rational person could ever hope to understand what goes on in the Joker's mind. Somehow, he continuously manages to outwit Batman, a feat few others have ever accomplished. However, he has repeatedly expressed that he would never kill the Dark Knight. He sees the Bat as the perfect adversary, an equal who makes it just so much more _fun_ to commit crime. The two are locked in a never-ending struggle, an unstoppable force and an immovable object.

Five hundred years in the distant past, a man was born to a tribe of nomads in the Arabian Peninsula. This man would grow up to become a physician in a small city. Relatively humble origins for a man infamous throughout history for attempted genocide and extinction.

Having discovered the secrets of the Lazarus Pit, the man uses its life-giving properties to save the life of a prince. The Pit however, does not restore people wholly from death. What returned of the sovereign was a mad shell of a person.

Imprisoned for his failure, the man eventually rallied his original tribe to overthrow the sultan. Burning the city to the ground, he takes the name Ra's al Ghul. The Demon's Head.

Ra's would eventually discover that the Lazarus Pit did indeed grant eternal life if used the right way. And so, an immortal began to walk the earth. He trained in every form of combat imaginable, studied the most cutting-edge science and formed a group of loyal followers. Much like the Batman, Ra's became the best at everything. Only he had centuries to perfect his craft. Endless years to become better than any mortal man.

His main cause throughout the centuries became preserving the planet that his species idly destroyed. Eventually this became the idea that humanity is corrupt and the only way to save the world is to cleanse it of impurities. To this end he formed the League of Shadows, a clan of assassins dedicated to toppling governments and ensuing chaos to bring about the end of modern life.

Through the years, Ra's would father several children, many of whom would share in his long life. The most notable among them being Talia al Ghul. Born just in the last century, Talia has become a formidable lieutenant of her father's. Also, the older Nyssa Raatko; a dangerous woman who doesn't truly hold her father's ideals.

Ra's is one of the few individuals to know the dual identity of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Ra's considers Batman to be a worthy opponent, the two men have a mutual respect while engaged in world-shattering conflict. Ra's never being defeated due to his nature as an immortal. And the Dark Knight detective is viewed as a suitable heir by the Demon's Head. He wishes for Talia and Bruce to be married to continue his legacy in the world.

 _Sorry if this seems a little rushed or shallow. It's basically just filler. But seriously, the Joker and Ra's are the most important villains and really deserved their own stories told._

 _Also, if anyone cares, I'm a fan of the theory that Joker is aware that he is a comic book character. He plays the part of the perfect supervillain because he knows nothing is real and the story needs to be sold for him to survive. It doesn't mean he isn't crazy also, just a really mind-blowing side theory._


	6. Tim, Stephanie and Cassandra

_Hello again, I hope everyone is liking the series so far. This one is going to be by far my favorite to write. It focuses on the third Robin (Tim Drake) and Spoiler (Stephanie Brown) as well as the second Batgirl (Cassandra Cain)._

 _All three of these characters are some of my favorites in the mythos. So, if this chapter seems better than the rest, that's why._

 _I still don't own Batman. And I probably never will._

Tim Drake was a good kid. Never got into trouble, kept a low profile and generally just went on with his life. His parents were the rich socalite types who were genreally never around too much. This gave him a lot of free time to read or study anything he could get his hands on.

Overall, Tim though he had a nice life. Except nothing really exciting ever happened. Well, except for the fact that he knew the secret identity of Batman.

It had been many years ago when Tim's parents had taken him to see Haley's Circus, home of the famous Flying Graysons. That night Tim had seen the youngest member of the family, Dick, preform a quadruple somersault. This was an incredibly dificult trick and few peopel in the world could ever hope of achieving it. Tim was thuroughly impressed by the older boy, following his career untill the preformance that claimed his parents lives.

A few years passed and Tim had almsot forgotten about the circus. That is untill he was watching the news one night and saw Batman and Robin fighting the Penguin. The footage was grainy at best, but Tim could just make out Robin preforming a quadruple somersault while fighting some henchmen. That's when things began to click in Tim's mind. Robin was about the right age, with the right skill-set and personality. There was a very large chance that he was Dick Grayson!

With a quick bit of research, Tim found that Dick had been addopted by Bruce Wayne. The billionare was something of a socalite and playboy, but that was the perfect cover for Batman. He was rich enough to finance and enable the Dark Knight, had the right motivation, and all the time to train. It had to be him.

Over several years, Tim would closely follow the exploits of the Dynamic Duo. He collected every scrap he could on either of them, which was made slightly easier when Batman joined the newly formed Justice League. His existance was finally publically acknowledged, but details were still a bit hard to come by. Criminals still had to fear the Bat, and for that he needed to be mysterious. Tim could understand that.

The thirteen year old was one of the few normal peopel who really took notice when Robin and Batgirl stopped appearing in the night sky. With a bit of work he deduced that the new hero Nightwing was in fact Dick Grayson under a new persona. At least it was nice to know that he hadn't died. Batgirl, however, was a complete mystery. Tim had never deduced her identity and thus had no way to know if the vigilante was still alive.

Then Bruce Wayne took in a new ward, a teenage street rat named Jason Todd. And just as Tim predicted, a new Robin was soon spotted on the rooftops of Gotham. He was brash and impulsive with a fierce temper. Nothing like his predecessor. Tim didn't know if he was really the best fit for the role, but there wasn't a whole lot to be done.

It was only a short time before Tim learned of the unfortunate event that befell the second Robin. The general public wasn't privy to this information, but for a while Tim had been siphoning information off of a general League communications network. It was designed for civilians who worked for the League in more mundane positions. Doctors, researchers, managers and the like. Most of the information was useless but one importnat message came across: the League was in mourning for a fallen comrade.

None of the big timers had died, so that meant it was a sidekick who had fallen. The Bat wasn't seen for a few days. It didn't take much to put it together. Tim knew what would happen to Batman without a partner; not only was he much more likely to finally lose a fight, but his methods would slowly slip to darker and darker corners. Batman needed a Robin.

The first place Tim went was Titans Tower. After a lengthy and arduous argument, he got an audience with Nightwing. The older hero listened to Tim's argument for him to return to Gotham and Batman. Surprisingly, Nightwing listened. He had matured since his last encounter with his old mentor, and was willing to put the past behind them.

Bruce on the other hand, was not. He had just lost a partner, someone he was supposed to risk his own life to protect. His opinion about taking another person into that role, even if it was Dick, was an absolute no. The Bat was working alone from now on. Even if it killed him.

Infuriated by his former friend and mentor, Dick rescended his offer to come back and left Tim with very few other options. With a bit of help from Alfred, the newest Boy Wonder took a costume from the cave and followed Batman into the night.

After saving the Caped Crusader from a group of thugs, Tim finally convinced the Bat to hear him out. Batman saw something in the boy. Not the fighting prowess of his former Robins, but a keen detective skill rivaling his own. And Batman rememberd the words of his daughter from another Earth, that the fight continued even though soldiers died. His partner, whomever it happened to be, was always going to be in danger of death or worse. But this war could not be fought alone. It would take an army to put down all of the crime in Gotham. But for now, two people would do.

So Tim trained under the Bat as well as other masters around the world to hone his skills. Only after many intense trials did he become the third Robin.

Unknown to the newly formed Dynamic Duo, a girl by the name of Stephanie Brown was on the path to becoming a vigilante. Her father was the small-time villain Cluemaster and she worked against his plans, attempting to spoil them. Though not trained, she proved to be a somewhat talented crime-fighter.

This activity drew the attention of Batman, who convinced her to train under the Birds of Prey ( _might do a story on them later_ ). Stephanie adopted the name Spoiler and began to act as a regular vigilante in Gotham. Durring her many incounters with the current Robin, the two began to have feelings for each other and quickly began a relationship.

The couple would be put through many trials durring thier time in the masks, losing trust in each other multiple times. They would fight and separate only to realize how much they needed each other. It was as if the universe enjoyed watching them being torn appart again and again. _(Seriously, look it up. It's stupid how often it happens.)_

Durring this time period, Batman would encounter an assassin attempting to kill Commissioner Gordon for the crime boss, Two-Face. This assassin was David Cain, one of the earliest combat experts Bruce had gone to in order to learn to fight. The two had opposite ideologies, and Batman would eventually surpass him in combat prowess.

In the end it was not Batman who saved the Commissioner's life, but rather a young girl who mysteriously appeared in Gotham. This girl was mute, unable to speak or communicate other than through drawings and jestures. This created... complications in deducing exaclty who she was. One thing was obviously apparent, the girl was one of the most skilled combatants Batman had ever encountered. She possessed the ability to read body language fluently; observing and reacting to even the smallest stimuli at lightning speeds. It appeared that she had never leared to speak or write.

Some time later, Batman recieved a message from Cain stating that the girl was his daughter, Cassandra. And with it came a video of her killing a buisness man. Apparently she had been her father's apprentice for all of her life.

Born to be the world's best assassin, Cassandra had spent her formative years in isolation. David Cain instructed her in every form of violence imaginable but never through words, only pain. The young Cassandra knew no other life, never even thought that some other existance was possible. But when she killed that man, she read his face as he died and she saw terror and then... nothing. This convinced her that what her father had taught her was wrong.

After saving Comissioner Gordon, Cassandra would end up as an agent of Oracle. The former Batgirl would mentor the former assassin and show her the right way to be a hero. Cassandra had an inate desire to stop suffering, having endured so much of it durring her life. This made her a great hero, if a bit impulsive when it came to picking her fights. Though that hardly mattered as she was more than capable of wiping the floor with any opponent.

Through working closely with one another Barbra would come to grealty trust Cassandra. When the time came for Cass to chose a single alias to go by, Barb quickly suggested that she continue the Batgirl lineage. After all there had already been three Robins. The girls needed a bit more representation.

This new Batgirl operated soley under Oracle but often came into contact with the Birds of Prey as well as Batman and Robin. As such, she often found herself in the company of Spoiler. The two became quick friends despite coming from very different backrounds. Stephanie alwasy chatting and smiling, Cassandra always listening and stoic. Perhaps it was thier polar opposite personalities that allowed them to get along so well.

The three newest heroes; Robin, Spoiler and Batgirl, would be the next set of heroes to train under the Bat and his allies. They would start a new era of cooperation and unity between the BatFamily. Every vigilante who operated in Gotham eventually fell under the umbrella of the Bat, looked after and aided in whatever way possible by the family. Though some were more respected than others.

Inevitably something was coming that would shake this newfound sense of family. Some threat that knew exactly how the Bats operated. An old enemy supposedly long gone and a lost brother who was no longer the same.

 _So this has been sitting in my files for a while, I just needed to polish up the details. For those of you who don't know what's coming next, prepare yourselves._


	7. The Red Hood

_Well it's been a while. Holidays are always crazy. We're finally getting to the good parts of the story! I'll be taking a greater amount of storytelling liberties from here on out. Small adjustments to make things flow better. We'll I've already taken quite a few, but these will be more noticeable deviations from the cannon story._

 _Most of the base for this chapter comes from the animated movie_ Batman: Under the Red Hood. _Though it is interwoven with my own adaption of another plot line altogether._

 _Once again: I don't own anything._

Timothy Drake was enjoying his life. He was doing great in school, he had an amazing girlfriend and the world was just generally in his favor. Not to mention that he was apprentice to the world's greatest detective and crime fighter, the Batman.

The newest Robin took a much more serious approach than his predecessors, delving into every study and training imaginable to perfect the craft of costumed crime-fighting. His fighting prowess grew to considerable levels, to the point where even the mighty Ra's al Ghul commented on his ability. While at the same time, Batman would admit that Tim might one day surpass him as the world's greatest detective.

And his skills were being tested more now than ever. A mysterious crime lord was strong-arming his competition in Gotham, murdering lieutenants of drug empires and anyone else that stood in his way. He moved like a shadow, never appearing longer than necessary to deliver threats and instructions. But more than that, his name was hauntingly familiar: The Red Hood.

The Joker was currently locked up, and this wasn't his style anyway. Not enough drama and showmanship. Someone was using his former alias to conglomerate all the major crime in Gotham city. An understandably ambitious endeavor.

But through all the work, Tim never stopped being a teenager. Which Spoiler helped with significantly. She was a great friend, if a bit infuriating and stubborn at times. The duo was inseparable by any force except their own. Bouts of jealousy and doubt would drive them apart with some regularity. Other people came and went from their lives but none mattered more than each other. It just seemed that the two young crimefighters were destined for each other, despite every circumstance pulling them apart.

Undoubtedly something was destined to come along and decimate Tim's happy life. This particular tragedy took the form of the Obeah Man kidnapping Jack and Janet Drake. The voodoo cultist planned to sacrifice the pair after holding them for ransom from their multi-million-dollar company. Unaware of exactly whom he was involving in the incident, Obeah Man thought his plan would go flawlessly.

When Batman and Robin rushed to intervene, the Drakes had already been poisoned with an extremely deadly toxin. Obeah Man was thwarted but his scheme led to the death of Janet and left Jack in a coma. And thus, Tim had lost both of his parents to a criminal. It seemed to be a common factor among those in the family. Naturally, Bruce Wayne would take the boy in for as long as necessary.

Scared that Tim would become fueled by rage over his loss, Batman would closely monitor the young hero. However, the loss of his family only motivated Tim to further his pursuit of becoming the best crime fighter. He trained harder and studied longer than anyone else. The work consumed him, cutting off his time and energy spent elsewhere. And those close to him noticed the change.

Having just awoken from his coma, Jack Drake was beginning to adjust to his life with severe paralysis. Then he would discover that his son was secretly endangering his life and acting with no regard for his own wellbeing. There was no way Jack was going to allow his son to continue this dangerous lifestyle, especially after the tragedy their family had just endured.

Tim would argue that he was doing good work for a worthy cause, but Jack Drake would not hear any of it. Forced to resign his position as Robin, Tim would become restless without the work. And he constantly worried about the family he had found with the Bat. What could happen to any of them, had in fact already happened to some of them. The thoughts would torment him endlessly. Especially with the Red Hood still amassing power in Gotham.

With Tim's absence, Stephanie had a brilliant idea. The ambitious blonde created her own costume and surprised the Bat by jumping headfirst into the role of Robin. Annoyed and more than a bit disgruntled, Batman accepted her into the role but with great caution. As Spoiler, Stephanie had been something of a free agent. Working alongside the Dynamic Duo and other heroes but never integrating herself too deeply.

As Robin, the girl was headstrong and impulsive. The role of Robin was supposed to be a partner to the Bat, a trusted ally who knew exactly what had to be done. The two heroes could act as one entity, totally in sync both in and out of battle. Stephanie, on the other hand, demonstrated no regard for authority, only wanting to prove herself to be just as good as Tim. The two were going through one of their normal spats.

Discharged from the role after disobeying direct orders on multiple occasions, Stephanie was extremely upset. Desperate to prove her worth to the Bat, she would find and enact a master plan designed to bring down all the major crime networks in Gotham. Batman had been working on the plan for years but was reluctant to enact it due to the constantly shifting nature of the underworld and the explicitly deadly consequences it could have.

Instead of ending the reign of major criminal organizations, Stephanie's actions incited them into a war that ravaged Gotham. Mobs and gangs took to the streets in force, enraged at each other for claiming dominion over certain areas or business ventures. Most of these rivalries had been inflamed by Stephanie's meddling, intending to cause the entire criminal underworld to burn itself out.

Every Gotham vigilante was called in to quell the violence as best as possible. Batgirl, Spoiler, Nightwing and the Birds of Prey would patrol the city under Oracle's supervision. Even the morally questionable Catwoman stood alongside the heroes to protect the innocent. This was not the first or last time the thief would side with the Bats when it really mattered.

Just when it seemed that the city would be lost to violence, a meeting was called between all the major head of crime left in the city. Each of them had agreed to meet in order to end the conflict and divide up the city instead of destroying it. Unknown to them, a shadowy figure had hidden himself in their meeting room. In fact, he had been the one to orchestrate this meeting.

The Red Hood quickly dispatched every person in the room, creating the largest power vacuum Gotham had ever seen. Hood's plan had been to assume control of each faction, bringing every aspect of the criminal world into one unified operation. Batman obviously had something to say about this new overlord.

He tracked Hood after the criminal had, of all things, broken the Joker out of Arkham Asylum. Most of the city was still in chaos, so the Bat went to face them alone. Confronting Red Hood for the first time, Batman was prepared to fight the notorious assassin for control of the city. Instead, the Bat was meet by a ghost.

Removing his helmet, Jason Todd stood proudly in an abandoned apartment. He wore a brown leather jacket over an advanced body armor and dual pistol holsters. But perhaps the most significant piece of his attire was the green domino mask that eerily resembled the one he had worn as Robin.

Batman was shocked to see his old partner alive again, more so to see him acting as the Red Hood. The crimefighter retained his composure, ready for anything to happen. He wasn't sure exactly what Jason wanted or how he had come back from the dead. At this point, anything was possible.

Todd recounted the story of how shortly after his death, Talia al Ghul had exhumed his body. Using the incredible properties of the Lazarus pit, she had revived him, hoping to use him as a pawn to get to Batman. And though his mind was broken for a time, eventually Jason was well enough to understand that the Joker was still alive. This enraged him, but Talia convinced the former Robin to stay and train with the League of Shadows. Only with time and preparation could the Bat truly pay for his offenses.

He had grown significantly through the years, taller and stronger. But with those years also came skills, he was perhaps a match for even Batman. But he was more than willing to kill to accomplish whatever goals he had. Somehow, this former Robin had become the most dangerous adversary the Bat had ever faced.

Jason fumed at his former mentor; for letting him die, for not taking vengeance on his killer, for not doing what was necessary to save the city. He believed that simply containing criminals was a futile effort. Eradicating the problem was a much more effective solution. And by taking over the crime in Gotham, the Red Hood could regulate exactly what happened and reduce violence in the city.

It would have worked if not for Spoiler interfering by causing the major criminal networks to go into complete upheaval. Now there wasn't enough structure left to take over. All of that work was wasted because a stupid kid couldn't follow orders.

Well at least Jason could do one thing he had come back for. The Joker was tied to a chair in the apartment, a gun to the back of his head. The former Boy Wonder, in a blind rage, gave Batman a choice: kill him, or allow him to kill the Joker. The Dark Knight, however, took a third option, quickly disarming Jason with a well-placed batarang.

Not about to let himself be captured, The Red Hood had prepared a contingency of explosives inside the building to collapse the floor. The blast was shocking, sending every man in a different direction. In the rubble of the half-destroyed building, Batman found a laughing psychopath but not his former friend.

The Joker was returned to Arkham Asylum but the Red Hood had already slipped past everyone and made his quick exit. During this time, the fight to save Gotham was reaching its climax. The family was out in force, but none could have prepared for the sudden death of Stephanie Brown. She fell while attempting to quell the conflict that she had started. Tim took the news hard, he should have been there to save her! Instead he had been sitting at home watching the world burn.

Everyone was deeply affected by the events that had just unfolded. The shock of learning that Jason had returned from the dead was compounded by the loss of Stephanie. Knowing that the Bat had failed on two accounts was a glaring point of dissention between the family. Some still had faith in the Dark Knight of Gotham but others began to question his methods. Jason was their brother; his death had been a tragedy but now his rejection of them was even more painful.

Nightwing and Oracle would attempt to track down the Red Hood, but never got close enough to talk to him. Evidently the League of Shadows had trained him to hide very well. The Birds of Prey and Cassandra would mourn for Stephanie alongside Tim. She had been a sister to many of them. To Cassandra, Stephanie had been her best friend and only connection to the real world. The current Batgirl had developed some basic speech since beginning training with the Bats, but it had really been the spunky blonde vigilante who made talking worthwhile. Learning to live without her would be a challenge unto itself.

The long road to recovery would continue for Gotham as well. Most of the crime was now street level, petty thugs and small drug operations. But the underworld would return, it was inevitable. There was just too much unclaimed operating space in the city for ambitious criminals to pass up. This was a literal dream come true for big time crime organizations; a city in chaos with no real competition and minimal law enforcement, plenty of muscle for hire and a huge market on illegal activities.

There was the small issue of the Bats roaming the city, though only two would remain after the crisis was averted. Batman and Batgirl would continue to actively operate within the city, Oracle and the Birds of Prey assisting them when necessary. Nightwing had returned to his own city, though leaving this time on good terms with Batman. The two having finally put aside their differences and long standing feud.

Catwoman also became something of a partner to the Bat. The woman named Selena Kyle had gone straight some time ago. Hung up her costume and whip to live a normal life. Well…mostly. Certain opportunities aroused her interest a bit too much to ignore. This usually led to an encounter with Batman who had an undeniable attraction to the femme fatale. The two had developed a certain repertoire over the years that looked suspiciously like a relationship.

If the Cat didn't do anything too mischievous, Batman would gladly accept her help keeping the city safe. For now, everything was relatively quiet, the underworld still putting itself back together. A process that the Bats would attempt to stop at every opportunity. There was work to be done. The mission never ends.

 _Sorry if this chapter seemed a bit all over the place. There are a lot of people to keep track of at this point. Everyone deserves a bit of recognition. The story should even out over the next chapter._

 _I decided to edit out Black Mask because it would just take more time to explain his operation. If you want to go watch the whole story then_ Under the Red Hood _is great, I highly recommend it._

 _Only a few stories left to tell. I've gotten some good ideas for one-shots so expect a few in the future. Next up is the story of the fifth Robin and a mysterious Batwoman._


	8. Damine and Kate

_(Sorry if you get this notification twice. There was a slight proofreading error.) Wow this took forever. Life stuff just got in the way and then I had a bad case of writer's block. It turns out that forcibly writing multiple essays in a short period of time kills creativity. Just absolutely murders it. Anyway…_

 _I'll admit, everything I know about Batwoman (Kate Kane) comes from_ Batman: Bad Blood _and some Wiki pages. She seems like a good fit for the family, I just never looked too deeply into her character before. The fifth Robin (Damien) on the other hand, I have a personal preference for._

 _This is where things really come together._

The Dark Knight raced through the streets of Gotham. The Batmobile silently roaring with power as the hero took sharp turns and swerved through intersections. Things had almost returned to normal in Gotham. Or as normal as could be expected. The city would never be truly free of its heritage as one of the most crime ridden places in the world. There were too many opportunists to ever let that happen. But perfection was not necessary for peace.

Here in Gotham peace was defined as getting to the end of your day and still being alive. Not the most perfect of circumstances, but it was certainly manageable. Every day, the Batman saved people from death and far worse. Not to mention the number of times he had saved the entire planet. Yes, the city was a mess. But it was _their_ mess. Theirs to live in and deal with.

When he had received the message, Batman could only hope that it didn't mean the end of that fragile peace. Talia al Ghul had summoned him to a meeting aboard a luxury liner docked in the Gotham harbor. If the al Ghuls were in Gotham, it could only bring trouble. Ra's knew well enough to leave his city alone, so Talia coming here could only be out of desperation.

Arriving at the docks, Batman silently made his way aboard the luxury ship Talia had mentioned in her message. No visible guards, odd. Usually any member of the al Ghul family was never without at least a detachment of bodyguards.

In the master bedroom of the ship, Talia al Ghul awaited. She looked relaxed and in control, but that air of superiority was practically a permanent part of her character. In all his time fighting their efforts, Batman had never seen an al Ghul appear confused or uncertain even in defeat.

"Hello beloved. I am glad you found your way." Talia was dressed in a slim red dress that had obvious implications. Batman had little patience for the air that this woman presented. He knew what she really was underneath the aristocratic exterior.

"Talia. What are you doing here?"

"No taste for pleasantries then. I've been forced out of my regular establishments by a usurper to my father's throne. The League of Shadows has fallen under his command. The circumstances are most unfortunate."

"Where's Ra's?" As soon as he asked, the Dark Knight knew the answer. The slight twitch of her face and reflexive clasp of her hands gave it away.

"My father is dead. The pit cannot bring him back this time."

"A tragedy. And what have I got to do with it?"

"Oh beloved, you are more involved in this than you know. Though the league is lost to me at the moment, I have plans to reclaim it. However, I must ask you to look after something for me in the meantime." This was an unusual request. Talia was almost always looking for power or information.

"Do you recall the night we spent together in the desert? It was ages ago, but I cherish the memory greatly."

"I remember you slipped something into my drink. How is that relevant to…" Talia had pulled back a curtain, revealing a boy of about ten years of age. His features were striking, evoking a memory of something long past for the Dark Knight.

"Our son, Damien." The boy approached his father without any apprehension. He certainly acted the part of an al Ghul.

"Don't look surprised father. _I_ though you would be taller."

Talia quickly explained that Damien needed to be looked after while she schemed to retake the League of Shadows. Without any other adequate options, she had made the only natural decision. He would remain with his father for as long as necessary.

Damien very quickly proved to be an arrogant and bratty individual who really didn't know any other way of life. Ra's and Talia had raised him to be an heir of the Demon, an assassin without equal who saw the world as an inferior wasteland.

The Demon child, as he would come to be known, clashed magnificently with most other members of the Bat clan. In his mind, they were inferior, a set of fakes that occupied his rightful place as blood heir to the Wayne name. Though he would never admit it, the boy was constantly seeking approval from his father. Bruce was never especially warm, closing himself off except when absolutely necessary. This relationship would continue for some time until Damien began to open up to the world around him.

In the preceding months, a threatening presence had made itself known by killing off the loved ones of several Justice League members. One of its victims was Jack Drake, killed by Captain Boomerang in an assassination. ( _This is a small part of a famous story. Go look it up.)_ After settling his grief and figuring out the plan for the rest of his life, Tim once again donned a brightly colored costume. Instead of returning to Robin, he decided to take on a more supportive role in the hierarchy. Opting to become mainly a detective rather than a soldier, he took the name Red Robin as a tribute to his lineage. As a hero once again, Tim found a great sense of purpose working with the newest incarnation of the Teen Titans. Having lost most of those he held dear, Red Robin was extremely dedicated to his work.

Then a strange sight began appearing in the night skyline of Gotham. A familiar purple form that Tim had long given up hope of ever seeing again. At first, he though it must be an imposter, a copycat looking to take the name of Spoiler. But a confrontation proved him wrong, Stephanie Brown lived. She had survived the attack that had nearly claimed her life, only by the aid of Dr. Leslie Tompkins ( _forgot about her…)_ was she able to flee the country and recover from injuries both physical and mental. Stephanie had wallowed in guilt after her actions that had caused the war in Gotham came to light. She refused to believe that anyone would ever trust her again. However, in time, she had come to accept the past and move towards a better future.

The former couple were strictly at odds. Tim demanding that Stephanie give up her Spoiler persona, and Stephanie constantly ignoring him. The two could only ever agree on how annoyingly arrogant Damien was. He in turn would goad them into arguments, enjoying the show. Of all the members of the clan, only Dick was ever very receptive of the newest member. Perhaps it was his instinct as an older brother, or Damien's remarkable similarity to Bruce, or just the general good natured-ness of the first Robin. Whatever the case, Dick and Damien developed a bond that was almost uncanny.

This of course didn't stop Damien from silently (and not so silently) loathing the soldiers that his father had trained in his place. Granted Bruce had only known about his existence for a matter of weeks, but his dignity was at stake! Driven by the cause of helping his mother retake the League of Shadows, Damien successfully bargained his way into the position of Robin. As the fifth bearer of the title he was the darkest of the lineage. Successfully gaining his father's trust but not quite the affection he sought.

Talia was quickly reinstated as head of the League of Shadows with the aid of a few bats coerced into the job. Though Damien still held his place as an al Ghul, he elected to stay with his father and finally live free of his mother's machinations. The world was much larger than he had originally anticipated and his time would be better spent experiencing it than planning to destroy it.

Around this time, Batman would become aware of a new vigilante in the international arena. Normally such maters wouldn't concern him that much, but this specific agent used a symbol and name that she had no right to. Batwoman was a mystery by most standards, appearing in areas of conflict and doing as much as possible to end violence through subterfuge and intimidation. Her skills were formidable and her reputation rivaled the best covert operatives on the planet.

Luring her to Gotham was surprisingly easy, just a few hints of another major conflict sent floating about the largest intelligence networks. Nothing in Gotham happened without the Bat knowing about it, and he soon found her huddled away in a secluded tenant complex. She had been planning to go undetected, but that was never really an option where Batman was concerned. Confronted by the progenitor of her name, Batwoman talked.

Kate Kane had grown up as an army brat, both of her parents working for the military. General Jacob Kane and Captain Gabi Kane constantly moved around the world and were focused on their careers. Their twin daughters Katherine and Elizabeth spent their childhood on military bases all over the world. In Brussels, Belgium the two daughters were spending the day with their mother when the group was kidnapped by terrorists. Jacob Kane lead the very short investigation into their location, and headed the strike team that went in.

But it was too late. Gabi and Elizabeth had already been executed in front of Kate. Jacob pulled his daughter from the firefight and life would never be the same. Traumatized by the experience, Kate would begin to resent life. Survivors guilt mixed with a lack of purpose made her a loose cannon. She enrolled at West Point solely because of her father's insistence, but that life was never for her. She was eventually discharged due to the revelation of her sexual orientation.

Winding down a self-destructive path, Kate eventually found herself in a Gotham nightclub, drunk out of her mind. Returning to the shamble of an apartment that she rented, Kate was cornered by a few thugs. She defended herself adequately, but then a living shadow fell upon the fight. She'd never seen anything like him, if he was even human. After it was over, he offered her help getting up off the floor. She refused. It was then that Kate Kane found purpose for her life, to become a vigilante who ended conflict. A force of the night that saw evil brought to an end, by whatever means necessary.

Batwoman first appeared a few years later, decked out in the latest military body armor and equipped with cutting edge weaponry. Not to mention access to the best information networks on the planet. All courtesy of General Jacob Kane. She was, to a degree, more ruthless than the original Dark Knight, willing to take lives when absolutely necessary. Her personal war was not against the crime of a city, but against the violence of humanity. The sheer scope of such a cause warranted success by any means.

Though he did not agree with her methods, Batman decided to allow her to operate as an international extension of the family. She was after all, family. Kate Kane hadn't heard from her cousin Bruce in a long time. So, when she was invited to a private dinner, not even having told him she was in Gotham, suspicions arose. No direct secrets were passed between the two, but neither was dumb enough to believe that a certain message hadn't made its way across. Batwoman would continue to act as a reserve agent for the BatFamily while conducting missions of a global scale.

For a time, all was quite well. Damien continued to train (if a bit resistantly) under his father, following the same rights as the Robins before him. Stephanie ( _very resistantly)_ gave up the mantel of Spoiler and proceeded to go to college and live a normal life (for the most part). The Red Hood had not been seen in some time, leading many to believe that he had either perished or gone into deep hiding. Nightwing especially felt a need to find the former Robin, out of brotherhood or perhaps to prove that everyone can be saved.

Life continued. Things happened. Nothing of note. Then the unthinkable occurred. An event that was long overdue, but tragically too soon. The Batman died.


	9. Death of the Bat

_What will the family do when their central figure is gone? Batman has died quite a few times over the course of his almost eighty-year publication history and it rarely sticks. It's kind of nice that characters are still relevant after so long, but sometimes things just need to change._

 _This particular death will be based upon_ Final Crisis, Issue 6. _It's the most recent/important one. And I personally like it, so that's what we're going with. There will also be a bit of_ Battle for the Cowl _in here too. Though everything is taking some story deviations from the original material._

 _I don't own anything._

Robin stood on a ledge overlooking the busy hubbub of Gotham city. Father had finally entrusted him with a solo patrol and the young vigilante/assassin was determined to not let anyone screw it up. No, tonight would go according to plan, perfectly and absolutely. No aliens or meta-humans or psychopaths were going to invade/destroy/terrorize any part of the city even if Damien had to hold them off through sheer force of will.

Because tonight was one of the rare nights that the Batman was not silently watching over his city. He'd been called on a Justice League mission to another… _planet, dimension, reality?_ Some place where even the Kryptonian was outmatched. The League had been there before, facing down the biggest threats that the universe had to offer and they always walked away from it.

During most of these situations, another 'senior' hero would be called in to manage the bevy of teenagers in costumes running around Gotham. However, this time Damien had been entrusted with the main patrol and others filled in the fringes of the city. Everyone was linked to Oracle, but that wasn't any different than normal. Come to think of it, Damien hadn't heard from the former Batgirl in a while. She'd been incessantly checking up on him for the first few hours. Maybe she had finally learned that he was a perfectly capable hero.

As dawn approached, Robin made his way through the slums of the city and up towards one of the hidden entrances to the Batcave. Slipping through the dark tunnels, the bird eventually made a rather ungraceful entrance through a small sewer grate far in the depths of the cave. There were lights on the main platform, too many to be considered normal. Damien quietly elevated himself to a hidden vantage point and was terrified of what he saw.

Everyone was there. Grayson, Drake, Brown, Cain, the girl who calls herself Huntress, Kyle, even Gordon projected herself on the main screen. No one said a word.

Grayson called out. "You can come out Damien." Flipping back his hood and removing his mask, Damien slowly made his way onto the platform. He knew what they would say; what news the wretched League had brought back from that hellish place. Damien had seen death before, he knew it far more intimately than any of them would ever admit. It was only a matter of time. The Batman was, after all, just a man.

The League held a private memorial, founding members and close family exclusively. Nothing like the media extravaganza that occurred after the Kryptonian 'died' some time ago. Batman had never been a public figure and this recognized his memory in that way. There is no body to bury, but a giant statue of his emblem stands in the Watchtower. Forever reminding the gods that walk those halls that a mere mortal had once stood in their ranks.

Gotham was forever changed. The news was never made officially public, but rumors spread fast. And try as they might, the remaining Bats of Gotham simply didn't have the stronghold on the city that Batman once did. Criminals only understood fear, and truth be told, a bunch of children hardly inspired the same terror that the Dark Knight had once carried with him.

Until a newcomer made himself known to everyone who would listen. This new 'Batman' very quickly accumulated a body count, willing to put down anyone whom he perceived as a threat. This simply would not stand for any member of the family. Nightwing especially couldn't believe that anyone would use the Bat mantle to force their own form of justice on the world. This perversion of their cause had to be stopped.

But what methods was Dick willing to use to combat this imposter? He stood in front of the uniform display cases in the Batcave. Though alone, he heard the voices of many members of the family telling him that Gotham needed a Batman. A real one. The lineage was very clear and he was the next in line as the eldest son. But Dick had fought hard to keep himself out of that darkness. The mantel of Batman was something that held a lot of weight and required a certain mindset. But in the end, Gotham _did_ need a Batman.

Dick suited up for the first time in the cape and cowl, remembering the night that he had first laid eyes on it years ago. He walked towards the Batmobile and activated the front hatch for entrance. Damien beat him to the car and promptly seated himself in the passenger seat. The two locked eyes. Dick knew what the boy was going through, but also that his ability to display meaningful emotions was nonexistent.

"Well, you need a Robin, don't you? Can we go now?" The young bird quipped at his brother turned partner. The new Dynamic Duo sped into Gotham and began a hunt for the imposer Batman.

Confronting the tyrannical and malevolent Batman, Dick and Damien fight for their city with vigor and strength. Though Damien is injured by a gun shot, Dick – as the true Batman – defeats his opponent. Revealing him to be a disguised Jason Todd, reveling in the death of his former mentor and using the chaos to become the 'true' hero that Gotham needed.

However, defeated and disgraced, Jason slips into the Gotham River rather than be captured. This would mark a turning point for the family. Where the man who once led them is no longer a guiding force, and instead everyone must rely on each other.

Red Robin, refusing to believe that the Bat had truly passed, began a worldwide search for supernatural clues. The newly appointed world's greatest detective was adamant that the Dark Knight would return. Most believed him to be a grieving fool. This didn't stop Tim from searching and hoping that the greatest crime-fighter of all time would come back.

Cassandra Cain had become disillusioned with the life of a vigilante. The death of the Batman hit her hard, and forced her to realize that they were not invincible. They were mortals fighting the wars of a city that wouldn't fight for itself. On a dark and rainy night, she passed the mantle to her friend Stephanie Brown. Who was…more than a bit confused as to why Cass was giving up the one thing in her life that made sense. The two parted on uneasy terms, Cass to disappear out of the country and Stephanie to finish college while masquerading as the newest Batgirl.

Dick and Damien spent a lot of time together, presenting themselves as the new Batman and Robin to the scum and villainy of Gotham. Their dynamic was rather different; Damien supplying the cynicism and brooding demeanor while Dick countered with humor and optimism. They fit the roles of Dark Knight and Boy Wonder perfectly, just in reverse. Furthering the divide from his predecessor, even though Dick had assumed the mantle of the Bat, the leadership of the family fell mostly upon Barbra.

The red-headed computer whiz did her best to live up to the legacy of the Batman, but that was becoming harder and harder to do. Tim and Cass had dropped off the map, unwilling to communicate with anyone for their own personal reasons. Stephanie was under the direct mentorship of Barbra, leaning to be a better Batgirl from the original herself. The blonde girl had an extreme distaste for the new Robin, leading the Dynamic Duo to stray a bit further than normal. Which was a shame as seeing Dick fulfill the role of Batman brought out something like pride in Barbra. The two had not been close in a long time, but the new arrangements brought about by Bruce's death changed things.

The passing of a few months would see the return of Red Hood to Gotham. But not as an antagonist this time, instead the former Robin worked out a deal with the current Batman to operate as an agent in the city so long as no lives were taken. What exactly had changed in Jason Todd was unclear, but he was less hell-bent on taking over Gotham and more suited towards helping it. Of course, the tough and arrogant Red Hood would never admit that his actions were out of anything other than self-interest. But slowly, the wayward son began his journey back to the family. Perhaps a long string of tragedy was finally turning around.

Life gained some semblance of normalcy; as the streets grew dark, the bats took flight. Dick had refused full membership in the Justice League, instead opting to be a reserve member and focus mainly on Gotham. Damien and Stephanie would bicker violently while Dick and Barbra reminisced about their time as Batgirl and Robin. Red Hood would only ever venture beyond his slice of Gotham when absolutely necessary and treated the rest of the bats as a nuisance. But it was certainly better than his previous activities, Hood was less of a villain but more of a jerk than ever. However, there were still indications that he had a heart of gold, the man that had once been Jason Todd was returning.

After most of the heroes had come to terms with the death of perhaps their greatest legend, he shocked them yet again by returning to Gotham on a cold, lonely night. The story through which he explained his apparent demise and subsequent return was certainly one that would call to question the sanity of any other individual. Instead of disintegrating his physical body, the blast that had supposedly killed him instead transported him thousands of years into the past.

Ever the infallible acolyte, Tim Drake had lead a crazy investigation across the world into what had really happened to the Batman. Strange clues and twisted half-truths melted together to direct the newly-titled World's Greatest Detective on a search of the mystic realms. The mortal known as Bruce Wayne had shifted through time, a process which left a great many clues in history that only a select few would ever think to put together.

Records of a man who could do the impossible and _always_ dressed in black had begun to appear in various eras of human history. To most this would be a set of coincidences strung together by the mind of a grief-stricken former Robin. However, when Tim confronted the time captain Rip Hunter with his findings, the veteran traveler agreed to assist Drake in his search. They chased the Batman through time, never quite catching his moments in the physical space of our universe but following his path closely.

Then, without any outside aid, The Batman found his way back to modern day Gotham city. His city. Trailed by Red Robin, the original Dark Knight blinked into existence on a deserted street, his coming not seen by any but felt in the hearts of those whom he had trained. His partners, his soldiers, his children.

The return of the Bat heralded a new era of heroism for the family. Dick retained his role as Batman of Gotham, working alongside Damien to uphold the work of his mentor and friend. Tim and Stephanie reconciled (again) and began to form a serious relationship despite the numerous roadblocks to that goal. Tim eventually persuaded Cassandra to operate in Hong Kong as Black Bat, an extension of the legacy in that part of the world. It came to light that Cass had orders from Bruce that upon his death, she should hand the mantel of Batgirl over to Stephanie. Bruce had known that Cassandra would pull through his passing, but Stephanie would need the extra incentive to work towards a greater goal.

Selena Kyle was more than a bit peeved that her favorite man had returned from his trip through history without a single priceless relic to show for it. He had such the perfect opportunity to steal wonderful treasures! Her outward appearance, as usual, didn't convey her true feelings of joy at having the Bat back in her life. They had a history together more valuable than any shiny trophy Catwoman had ever stolen.

Bruce himself came back to Gotham a changed man, ready to fight his battles in a new way. One of collective strategy rather than individual power. Publicly acknowledging his 'financial aid' of Batman for the past decades, Bruce Wayne formed Batman Incorporated to bring together all of the individuals who fought as the Dark Knight had set out to do. Through the fear of criminals, the power of ingenuity, dedication and innovation; every Bat would have their chance at making the world a bit safer.

The Batman had started out as one man becoming a legend. Using that legend to insight fear as a weapon against the criminals of his city. The one thing he had not anticipated was that his legend would inspire others. People who saw his cause and felt it resonate in their own hearts. They would aspire to be better than he ever was and many would achieve that goal, but not as individuals. As a family, they grew to be a force stronger than any individual hero could ever have been.


	10. Future

_The future of the BatFamily is always shifting, never fully settled in one moment or another. This is of course because of the nature of comics, that all of the stories take place in the here and now. Glimpses of the future are fleeting and dependent upon the writer of the current story._

 _I've taken several large liberties with this chapter to make it as coherent and satisfying as possible. Basically, everything is officially non-cannon. Take it as you will, envision the characters however you wish. The future is anyone's guess._

Neo-Gotham stood as a bright, glaring pinpoint against the backdrop of dark surrounding countryside. A lot had changed in the last fifty years, but some things stayed the same. The Bat-signal stood brightly against the clouded sky, proclaiming once again that there was a need for the masked vigilante known as Batman. His presence was a constant in a city wrought with turmoil and treachery.

The original Dark Knight has long since passed from this world. His heirs had taken it upon themselves to continue the fight in Gotham. Dick Greyson had spent several years as Batman before passing the title to its blood heir, Damien Wayne. Publicly known as the heir to the Wayne fortune, Damien spent decades preforming the same ritualistic life of his father, opposing criminals and saving the world. But as does happen, time passed and the once young boy became too old to wear the cape and cowl of his father.

Damien sat in the study of Wayne manor, overlooking the city which had grown significantly in the past fifty years. He would need to get down to the cave in a moment in order to run operations for the current Batman. But for the moment he reflected upon the others who had come and gone through the years.

After retiring the role of Batman, Greyson had gone into semi-retirement. He and Gordon had finally gotten married but ultimately produced no offspring, citing their lack of normalcy for not wanting to raise a child predestined to become a costumed crime-fighter. Such a shame, the two had quite good attributes to pass on. When Dick died, it tore much more of a whole in Damien than he would have cared to admit. Gordon was still involved with the police force even after being a retired commissioner for a great many years now. There were just some habits you couldn't break.

Brown spent a good number of years as Batgirl before rebranding herself as the second Nightwing. She was far more mature at that point, wanting to start a family with Drake and lave a lot of her childish antics behind. The two now lived a quiet life retired out in the country, far removed from any activity that might draw them or their kids back to Gotham. Damien resented them for their decision for many years, but eventually came to realize that their path was one of honorable discharge rather than willful neglect of the cause.

Cain had spent some years in Hong Kong before returning to Gotham upon the death of Kate Kane. She adopted the Batwoman persona and had been a great force in the arena for many years. Perhaps better than any of them, Cassandra took to being a Bat. Her entire life was devoted to the cause, never for a minute thinking about her own life unless forced to by a concerned family member. She never married or had any serious relationship as far as Damien knew. She did however, train several Robins up until her death during a universal crisis.

Finally, there was Todd. He had left Gotham at one point to travel the world, perhaps with a purpose or perhaps not. That had been a great many years ago, and he had never been seen since. Damien couldn't believe that the force of the Red Hood had succumbed to anything less than an apocalyptic threat, so he chose to believe that the hardened old soldier had found a better life somewhere and simply never returned.

The Justice League was still around, though greatly reduced in stature due to public opinion and diminishing numbers. The Kryptonian hadn't been seen for years, but his fortress still stood. The newest Green Lantern was odd to say the least. Still the world looked bleaker every day.

Damien's own life wasn't all that exciting. He had spent far too many years running his body and mind into brick walls of crime, corruption and evil. It took far more than one man to stem the tide of humanities troubles. His load had lightened when he met Lian Harper and though the two were never officially married, Damien still felt like they were meant for each other. She had passed some years ago. Every day was a terrible burden without her, but now Damien had something else to live for.

"Are you coming old man?" Terry McGinnis stood at the entrance to the Batcave, poised and ready for action. The boy had come to Wayne manor one night running from some thugs, what he found was a hidden legacy more profound than anything he could have imagined. As was typical for most newcomers to the cave, he stole a suit and began to go about righting wrongs in the city of Neo-Gotham.

Instead of shutting the boy down, Damien had begun to train him and provide him with the best possible support. The city had changed a lot in the last fifty years, much of which Terry was very familiar with. But those old techniques and tricks still held true to the world of the future. Damien had no delusions that Terry would be able to save the city by himself, not any more then Bruce or himself had ever been able to do. It took more than Batman to change the way people lived and what they expected from their city. But it was a start.

Damien had allowed Terry to become Batman not because of his similarities to the previous bearers of the title, but because of his differences. This would not be a Batman of old but rather something beyond. The start of a new chapter for the legacy of the Bat, one that was not a soulless force but an empathetic human. Terry had yet to lean of it, but Damien had already found a suitable Robin for him. A girl by the name of Carrie Kelley who was enthralled by the idea of this new Batman and had been going out of her way to try and find him. She was talented in gymnastics and if Greyson had proved anything, it was that gymnasts could make excellent acrobatic fighters.

All in time. There was still the night at hand to think about. Damien rose and walked to the staircase that led to the cave. By the time he made it down to the lower levels of the hidden base, Terry had already changed into the black and red suit that had become the new standard for Batman. It was fan more technologically sophisticated than anything previous and could enhance the wearer to near superhuman levels. Though that was only part of the hero, the man inside the suit was just as important as the tools that he possessed.

"I should be at the River District in five minutes, I'll scout and try and see if I can find what the problem is. See if you can keep the police out of the way, I don't want to have to worry about them too." Terry's voice had dropped a register and become like gravel. Some things never changed.

"Keep your head in the job, prepare for everything, then work around anything. Don't disappoint me." Damien had never been one for pleasant motivation.

"Will do old man." Terry jetted into the cockpit of the Batmobile and kicked it into overdrive to burst out of the hidden entrance. Damien watched him go with a sense of anticipation. Not only for the night, but for the future. Change was inevitable, but Batman would always be vigilant over his city.

 _And that's the end of it! If you've made it all the way through, thank you! It means a lot to me. Though it might be a while before I start another project of this size. It was a lot of fun to write when I had the motivation and time to do so. But life tends to get in the way of things, doesn't it?_

 _Reviews of the whole story are very much welcome._


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